Door-operating mechanism for kitchen-cabinets.



E. C. ASH.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR KITCHEN CABINETS. APPLICATION FILED FEB-7 I916:

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

INL- 0000 Is PETERS cu. PHOTUJJYNOH WASHINGTON. u. c.

ERSEL CLOE ASH, 0F ELWOOID, INDIANA, A-S SIGNOR TO G. I. SELLERS 8: SONS COMPANY, OF ELWOOD, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR KITCHEN-CABINETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1911?.

Application filed February 7, 1916. Serial No. 76,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EnsnL C. Asrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elwood, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Door-Operating ldechanism for Kitchen- Cabinets, of which the follo .ving is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in door o 'ierating mechanism for l{ltCl16l1C1l')lnets, having particular reference to the means for operating the flexible curtain or door thereof which closes the lower compartment. Heretofore, it has been customary in the construction of kitchen-cabinets to employ flexible doors for closing the lower compartments thereof particularly, and for the purpose of opening and closing such doors handles have been located upon the bottom stiles or strips. This location of the handles necessitated the operator to assume a stooping posture each time the door was opened, and, unless the door operated with extreme case, such a posture had to be assumed in closing the door.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a very simple mechanism, one that will not enhance the cost of manufacture to any material degree, and which is adapted to be so mounted in the cabinet as to be within easy grasp of the hand of the operator while in a standing position, and designed to raise and lower the flexible cur tain or door referred to.

\Vith these general objects in view, the invention consists in features of construction and details of parts hereinafter referred to and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the lower part or base of a conventional type of kitchen-cabinet embodying a flexible door or ourtain and also my invention for operating the same; the door being illustrated closed; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the door being illustrated in its open position; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 4; is a modified detail.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures of the drawing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing for the purpose of clearly illustrating my invention in its applied form as well as in detail, 1 designates the lower half or base-portion of a conventional type of kitchen-caliiinet, in which is embodied a. table 2, and a lower or base compartment 3.

The compartment 3 is, in the present instance, closed by a flexible door or curtain 1, the latter being constructed in any suitable manner as will. enable it to readily bend or flex, as, for instance, it may be composed of a series of narrow slats 5, n -iounted upon a canvas sheet (3, attached to the roar sides or surfaces of the slats. Such, however, as the constri'lction of this door or curtain forms no part of my invention. As is usual, in instances where this form of door or cur tain is en'iploywd as the means for closing the conn artment 23, the ends of the slats travel in oppositely located vertical as well as horizontally disposed guide-ways or grooves 7, arranged in the cabinet structure.

In the present instance, I provide the cross-rail 8, which, as usual, extends across the front of the cabinet above the dooropening of the before-mentioned compartment 3, with an elongated slot or opening 9, and through this slot or opening is projected the operating-end or handle of the means employed for raising and lowering the flexible curtain or door. Various means may be readily devised i'or opening and closing the flexible door orcurtain and embodying a convenient handle projecting through the slot or elongated opening so as to be within grasp of the operator when in a standing position, but I prefer that shown, which, as will be seen, comprises a lever of substantially bell-crank shape, in that it consists of two separate arms 10 and 11, disposed at a rightangle to each other, said arms being held in their proper relation by means of a connecting brace 12, the ends of which are riveted to the arms at or near their longitudinal middles. The inner ends of the two arms overlap and are connected together by means of a pivot-pin or bolt 12", let into the cross-brace 13 of the cabinet structure or any other convenient stationary part. The free or outer end of the member or arm 11 of the lever extends through and beyond the .slot or elongated opening 9, at which point it may be either provided with or fashioned to shape a'convenient handle 14. The free end of the companion member or arm 10, may be connected in any desired manner with the upper end of the flexible curtain or door 1, the object being to cause said door to raise and lower as the lever is moved on its pivot. I prefer, however, to employ a short link 15, for this purpose, pivoting one end of the link to the center of the upper edge of the door, as at 16, and the opposite end of said link to the arm or member 10, near its free end. It is obvious, however, that other simple and effective means may be employed for connecting the lever to the door or curtain, as for instance, and as shown in the detail in Fig. 1, the arm or member 10 may be slightly curved and provided with a slot 17, engaged by a projection 18 on the door or curtain. The link is preferred for this purpose because it is very simple and inexpensive, and, moreover, provides a more nearly direct pull and therefore lends to an easy operation of the parts. As will be'appreciated, the lever thus formed of separate pieces or members 10 and 11, may be cheaply and conveniently construct-ed, such being Cut from the ordinary stock metal and cut to proper lengths. And the same is true with regard to the brace 12, the presence of which, it will be understood, is only required when the arms or members are made separately and then merely for the purpose of maintaining the arms in proper relation.

lVhen the angular lever is moved into the position indicated in full lines, Fig. 2, the curtain or door 11 will be raised or elevated by the swinging movement of the lever through the link-connection 15, so that the curtain or door will assume a horizontal position and give free access to the compartment 3. On the other hand, when the lever is swung to the position indicated by dotted lines, the door or curtain will have been lowered to the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the compartment is shown as closed. Although the invention is herein illustrated in connection with a kitchen-cabinet and is primarily intended for such use, yet, as will be seen, it is capable of other applications for operating flexible doors.

Having described mv invention, what i claim, is:

1. A. kitchen-cabinet having a compartment provided with opposite vertical ways the upper ends of which are horizontally disposed, and a flexible door mounted for movement in the ways and adapted to close the compartment, combined with a horizontally disposed bell-crank lever fulcrumcd in the cabinet, above the horizontal ways, and terminating at one end in an operating handle extending through and beyond an opening in the wall of the cabinet, and a movable connection between the opposite inner end of? said lever and the upper end of the flexible door, whereby the door is opened and closed by an operation of the lever.

A kitchen-cabinet having a compartment provided with opposite parallel vertical ways the upper ends of which are horizontally disposed, and a flexible door mounted for movement in the ways and adapted to close the compartment, combined with a horizontally disposed bell-crank lever fulcrumed in the cabinet at one side of and above the flexible door and terminating at its outer end in an operating handle extending through and beyond an opening in the wall of the cabinet, and a link loosely connected at one end to the door and at the other end to the inner end of the lever.

3. A kitchen-cabinet having a compartment provided with opposite vertical ways, the upper ends oi which are rearwardly disposed with an opening in its wall, and a flexible door mounted in the ways and adapted to close the compartment, and a bell-crank lever fulcrumed at its angle adjacent the door and loosely connected at its inner end to the same and at its outer end extending through the opening and terminating in a handle beyond the same, whereby the door is raised and lowered by a vibration of said lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of: two subscribing witnesses.

E. CLOE ASH.

\Vitnesses Enlvns'r DAMEL, ALVIN C. CRIMMEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatenta, Washington, D. O. 

